FirstHealth Expands Services with Opening of Neurosurgery Clinic on Lee Campus
| Date Posted: 5/23/2019
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cynthia africk, M.D. |
SANFORD- FirstHealth of the Carolinas continues to expand services in Lee County with the addition of a new Neurosurgery Clinic on the Lee Campus at 2919 Beechtree Drive in Sanford. Providers began seeing patients at the clinic on May 17.
FirstHealth neurosurgeons provide the operative and non-operative management (prevention, diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, critical care and rehabilitation) of neurological disorders including:
- Back Pain
- Neck Pain
- Spinal Arthritis
- Herniated Spinal Discs
- Spinal Stenosis
- Head Injuries
- Nerve Injuries
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Brain Tumors
- Brain Hemorrhages
- Hydrocephalus (“water on the brain”)
Neurosurgery encompasses surgery of the entire nervous system, expanding well beyond brain and spine surgery. The specialty of neurosurgery is concerned with the diagnosis and surgical treatment of patients with injury to or diseases of the brain, spinal cord and spinal column, and peripheral nerves.
A highly technical specialty, neurosurgery depends upon specialized equipment and highly trained surgeons. At FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, neurosurgeons perform surgeries of the spine and brain with state-of-the-art, cutting-edge tools housed in impressive operating rooms containing powerful microscopes, computer systems for navigating the intricacies of the spine and brain, and a variety of surgical tools and implantable devices.
“At FirstHealth, we continue to explore new and innovative ways to meet the unique needs of our neurosurgery patients,” says Cynthia Africk, M.D., FirstHealth neurosurgeon. “By providing neuroscience services on the FirstHealth Lee Campus, we are expanding access to proven state-of-the-art treatment options to patients in Sanford and surrounding communities.”
Dr. Africk has more than 20 years of experience in surgery of the spine, brain and peripheral nerves. She earned her medical degree from Loyola University of Chicago-Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois. She completed an internship in general surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, a post-doctoral fellowship in neurosurgery at the UCLA School of Medicine and a residency in neurosurgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria. She is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
“When patients come to me, they are often in real pain,” says Dr. Africk. “My goal is to provide relief through a variety of approaches including conservative measures and surgery when necessary. It is very gratifying to improve a patient’s quality of life by relieving their pain.”
Board certified neurosurgeon James Walker, M.D., will also care for patients at the new Lee Campus clinic. Dr. Walker earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama. He completed his residency as chief resident in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss.
His professional interests include general neurosurgery, minimally invasive spine surgeries, cranial/spinal tumors, peripheral nerve surgery and neurological sports medicine.
Other members of the FirstHealth neurosurgery team include Andrea Ackroyd, PA-C, Matthew Coffin, PA-C and Amanda Picerno, PA-C.
FirstHealth Neurosurgery has locations in Pinehurst and now in Sanford. To make an appointment or for more information, call (855) 535-8700 or visit www.firsthealth.org/specialties/neurosurgery-services.
